Understanding Contaminated Soil Removal Services

Contaminated soil removal services are necessary to stay within compliance.  Contaminated soil is a health hazard and a hazard to the environment.  Soil can become contaminated through mining, drilling, production, agricultural activities and construction activities.

There are three main ways that contaminated soil removal is handled. It is "solidified" on site using chemicals or concrete. It can be excavated on site and mitigated with biological organisms or chemicals and can be excavated and taken off site.  The cost of contaminated soil removal services vary from location to location. Cost is also calculated depending on the type of service.

Soil Remediation Options

There are several options for the remediation of contaminated soil that are available for small spills and large scale operations.  Some of the activities that are provided by a professional firm that specializes in the removal and treatment of contaminated soil include:

• Excavation, treatment and transportation of soil that is contaminated.
• Cement stabilization of dangerous metals that are found in soil. Cement stabilization is also used on other contaminates that respond to this method.
• Treatment and safe removal of asbestos, chemicals and other harmful materials that may be found in the soil or as part of the soil removal process.
• Treatment and removal of drill mud, septic and oily water, hazardous ground water that came into contact with the soil to be removed.

All of the above activities are either precursors to the removal of toxic soil or are part of the process. 

 Effective Contaminated Soil Removal Practices

One of the most effective options for contaminated soil removal is to not remove the soil at all. SEAR (Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation) process involves the injection of hydrocarbon agents into the soil that mitigate the contamination. This is a cost effective solution but it is bound as a solution only to those geological formations that allow for the injection and it only works with specific contaminates.

One of the simplest effective processes in excavation of the site so that soil can be treated in situ at the recovery facility. In this process either chemical or biological organisms are introduced into the soil to reduce the contaminants.  The soil is excavated from the site and either removed to an off-site treatment facility or it is piled into a berm nearby and treated.

Full Spectrum Services

Contaminated soil removal may require a full spectrum approach. In some cases there are multiple contaminants present that require a multi spectrum approach.  An expert in managing contaminated soil is the best judge of which approach is best for a given situation.

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